US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program Girls National Training Camp

NTX ODP is a year-round program involving training, competitive games and summer Region III Trials. ODP is birth-year pure, going by calendar year (Jan. 1 – Dec. 31), rather than by soccer year (U-17, U-16, etc.). This means a child born in 1998 is a ‘98 in ODP, a child born in 1999 is a ‘99 in ODP, and so on. This year, players born in 1998-2004 are eligible for participation in the NTX ODP program.

NTX ODP strives to expose its players to as many college coaches via various events and other opportunities, to help them advance in their soccer career as much as possible. This year, NTX State Soccer Association entered their three oldest age groups (‘98s, ‘99s, and ‘00s) in college showcases; the boys attended three showcases and the girls attended two showcases.

We offer all our players in the age group pool (i.e. '98s, '99s, '00s) the opportunity to be selected for College Showcase events. Many of our ODP players participate in the same College Showcase events with their Club Team and are not available to play for the North Texas State Team. Naturally, this gives other players an opportunity to step up and showcase their talents in events such as the FC Dallas Showcase. The ODP Head Coaching Staff welcomes the opportunity to develop all players in the ODP pools and see new players in 11v11 competition.

The following is a report written by NTX ODP head coaches regarding the FC Dallas Showcase held Mar. 6-8, 2015:

‘98 Boys: Head Coach, Kevin White; Assisted by Joseph Weber
Opponent: BATON ROUGE BRSC 98 B BLACK (LA)
The '98 Boys ODP team played in the FC Dallas Showcase last weekend and had a productive weekend. The first game was against BRSC from Baton Rouge, La., a very athletic and organized team. They pressed well and were able to win possession in our half too many times, which is what led to the first goal scored against us. In the second half, we made adjustments to break that pressure and were playing much better before an unfortunate free kick and clearance error led to a second goal to stifle our comeback. Result: Loss, 2-0.

Opponent: KANSAS CITY SC KCSC BLACKSTARS 97/98 (KS)
In the second game, we played KC Blackstars and were very strong from the first whistle to the last. The boys from North Texas moved the ball very well, with many quality passing sequences that led to many chances. Finally, the breakthrough that was deserved came in the second half with a great 1-2 combination from the center forward and center midfielder, followed by a good finish to take a 1-0 lead. There were a few more chances to add to that lead, but we wouldn't need another as we were able to hold on to the shutout and preserve the victory. Result: Win, 1-0.

Opponent: HOUSTON STARS (PREV HFC 98 BLACK) (TXS)
The final game of the weekend against Houston Stars featured a team that played a similar style to our own. They pressed us high up the field in our own half and moved the ball well themselves. They had a deserving 1-0 lead at halftime and two more counterattack goals led to a 3-0 defeat. The performance in this game was still very positive as we created a few chances ourselves from good pressing that could have gone in had we been a little more clinical in front of goal. Result: Loss, 3-0.

Overall, it was a productive weekend. I had the opportunity to analyze the players again in our last event, where players received valuable game time. Now, we will get back to the practice field and work hard to improve where needed before Sub-Regionals.

‘98 Girls: Head Coach, Angelina Pane; Assisted by Chris Watson
Opponent: AUSTIN TEXANS 98G RED (TXS)
The North Texas ODP '98 girls had a great weekend on the pitch, despite weather and field conditions in Dallas! The first game of the weekend was a great matchup against a strong 98 Dallas Texans team. While the game took a bit to get started, the ODP '98 girls were successful playing through the midfield and finding MaKayle Traxson. MaKayle hit the net twice in the first half of the game, giving the team a 2-0 lead. In goal, Sarah Heady had a stellar first half with three big saves to help keep a clean sheet. At the end of 60 minutes, the '98 girls ODP team improved their ability to play out of the back and through the midfield, and continued to excel at maintaining possession. Another goal and a great performance in goal from Addison Purdy during the second half ended game one of the weekend with a 3-0 NTX victory. Result: Win, 3-0.

Opponent: FAR WEST SOCCER AYSO 98 - DOUGLAS (AZ)
The second game for the weekend was against a very strong, physical and talented '98 team out of Arizona. They were fast, disciplined and defensively sound. Our speed of play improved quite a bit throughout the run of this game; this was a true test for the '98 ODP team. After 30 minutes of play and countless opportunities for NTX; we were able to find success. Midfielder Alexandra Martinez played a brilliant through ball which allowed MaKayle to put us up, 1-0. During the second half, the team from Arizona transitioned to four forwards with a lot of pressure on the back line. This was challenging, but the NTX defense did not blink an eye and finished yet another half with a clean sheet. Midfielder Celeste Enriquez also provided an insurance goal in the second half for a 2-0 NTX victory! Result: Win, 2-0.

Opponent: FC DALLAS YOUTH 98G WHITE (TXN)
Sunday was a gloomy and cold day in NTX, while the '98 ODP team took on an FC Dallas team to complete the weekend. While the '98 ODP team worked extremely hard, they struggled to find the back of the net on multiple opportunities. They held off the FC Dallas team in the first half and went into halftime tied. With an early goal in the second half, NTX took a 1-0 lead, but not for long. The FC Dallas team fought back and found the net twice, allowing for a NTX loss, 2-1, to end the weekend. Result: Loss, 2-1.

Overall, the weekend was a huge success; the '98 girls ODP team showed extreme growth from the previous tournament. This weekend allowed the girls to focus tactically on their shape and play as a team. We look forward to the games in the near future!

‘99 Boys: Head Coach, Sean Worley; Assisted by Kevin Megli
The '99 BODP finished with three wins and zero losses, scoring seven goals and allowing one for a GD of +6, helping them finish first in their Group.

Opponent: SEDGWICK COUNTY SA 99 WICHITA CYCLONES (KS)
The boys had the first game of the day at 7:30 a.m. against a strong and physical team from Kansas. Down 1-0 at the half, the boys fought hard in the second half and scored two well-earned goals. Result: Win, 2-1.

Opponent: SPRINGFIELD S.C. U16 MANCHESTER UNITED (MO)
The team came out strong in the first half and scored two quality goals to go into half-time up 2-0. During the second half, both teams created quality chances, but the scoring was not there. Result: Win, 2-0.

Opponent: KANSAS RUSH 99 WICHITA RUSH (KS)
The third and final game for the boys was outstanding. They scored three excellent goals in the first half and played very attractive soccer. During the second half, Rush came out and were motivated to get back into the game, with nonstop attacking. The 99B's lived up to the challenge, withheld the pressure and did not give up a goal, shutting out the Rush for their second-consecutive shutout to finish the tournament, winning their bracket. Result: Win, 3-0.

‘99 Girls: Head Coach, Cassidy Acuff; Assisted by Caroline Cox

Opponent: FC DALLAS YOUTH 99G EAST (TXN)
NTX put all of the work from the fall training sessions into this first game. The girls were playing smart possession through the midfield. In the first half, NTX put pressure on the FC Dallas team early and had many scoring opportunities. Goals from Julia Orozco (unassisted) and Peyton Laughley (Lyndsey Raabe assist) allowed NTX to go into half up 2-0. In the second half, the team continued to put pressure on FC Dallas’ back line but couldn’t quite find the back of the net. Result: Win, 2-0.

Opponent: DALLAS TEXANS 99G RED DALLAS (TXN)
In the first half, NTX was on the defensive. The back line — Astrid Souto, Grace Perreira, Kassandra Peralta, Darah McIlwain and keeper Syera Miller — kept the game scoreless going into the second half, when NTX settled down and started to dictate the game. They started to play a possession game, stringing passes together and had some very good looks at the goal. After a defensive error, the Texans scored and NTX continued to fight until the last whistle. Overall, it was a good weekend and showing for the '99s. They are playing some good soccer and continue to implement trainings in their matches. Result: Loss, 1-0.

‘00 Boys: Head Coach, JT Thomas, Assisted by Jay Dane

Opponent: KANSAS CITY SC KCSC BLACKSTARS 99/00 (KS)
The boys had a good start to the showcase. It was a tight affair, with both teams creating chances to score. We had a goal disallowed for a close offside. The group decided to drop off deep to start, but after seeing the opposition, we decided to press higher with good results. Result: Tie, 0-0.

Opponent: CLASSIC FC SELECT 00’ (NM)
The boys enjoyed a comfortable win, with a strong, disciplined performance. Dominating possession from the start, the group interchanged passes well and created many chances. Four good goals were scored, and the boys really started to gel and enjoy themselves on the pitch. Result: Win, 4-0.

Opponent: TSC HURRICANE 00 NSIEN (OK)
The final game proved to be our biggest test of the weekend. The opposition caused the group a lot of problems, but the group held firm and took a 1-0 lead going into the second half. The group needed to defend well and keep focused on compactness and other defensive principles. The group came together well, worked hard and hung on for a three-game unbeaten weekend. Result: Tie, 1-1.

‘00 Girls: Head Coach, Kim Hemmig; Assisted by Cassidy Acuff

Opponent: SOUTH MADISON COUNTY SO MFC RUSH 00 GIRLS PREMIER (MS)
In the first game, the girls worked incredibly hard, but were unable to break the back line of the Mississippi team until the second half. In the first half, NTX were still getting to know each other and still didn’t quite understand the 4-3-3 formation. During the second half, the defense really started to get involved and the team started to play a much more possession-oriented game with many opportunities. Makayla Rushing finished by slotting the ball past the MS keeper for a goal off a free kick taken by Maya Warrior. NTX left the field with a great result and a solid building block to go into Sunday’s matches. Result: Win, 1-0.

Opponent: STING 00G (FLANAGAN) (FKA STING 00 REZAIE) (TXN)
NTX came out strong and put high pressure on the Sting defense, but was unable to get a result in the first half. The best chance for NTX came in the second half ,when Abby Guerrero sent a ball from the left side of the field across the goal where Kindall Koiner was running on, but was unable to get a foot on it. Overall NTX played very well and did not give up a goal in the wet, raining and cold weather out at Liberty High School. Result: Tie, 0-0.

Opponent: FC DALLAS 00G BLUE (TXN)
FCD started out the match with lots of energy and speed, but NTX was able to hold them to only one goal in the first half. The girls were able to settle down in the second half and got a goal by Makayla Rushing. Kimya Raietparvar was able to get through two defenders in the midfield and chip the ball around the last defender to the oncoming Rushing, who got NTX on the board. The final result was 1-1 and the girls ended the weekend on a strong note. Result: Tie, 1-1.